Plus One by Brighton Walsh Read Free Book Online Page A

the feel of his finger tracing her bare shoulder. It had been a mindless touch, something she hadn’t even been sure he’d been aware of, and yet it had set her entire body aflame.
    And now. Now, she was pressed against him as they danced, his hand touching her bare skin thanks to the low, open back of her dress. He held her close, closer than he ever had before, and even though she was two martinis into the night, she still found herself tongue-tied.
    His fingers slowly slid up her back, following the line of her spine, and though she tried to hold it in, a shudder ran over her body. Her nipples hardened, and a tingle grew low in her belly. All from a single caress against her bare back. Jesus, if an innocent touch like that had her wet and ready to go, what would happen if he stroked her not so innocently?
    She looked up into his eyes to find him staring directly at her. His eyes bounced over her face, no doubt taking in her heated cheeks, eyes heavy with desire, and parted lips. He pulled her close, and brought their clasped hands up toward her face. He brushed a single finger down the line of her jaw, and instead of moving away, swept his finger over her lips. It was scarcely a brush of skin on skin, but she moaned. It was low and breathy, and barely loud enough for her to hear, let alone Ian. Yet she knew the exact moment he did.
    His eyes, scorching with a want she knew all too well, bored into hers.
    “Liv.” He managed to convey so much want and need with that single word.
    She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, and tried to not sound breathless when she answered. “Yes?”
    Ian’s finger was still on her lip, caressing it back and forth, and his focus switched between her mouth and her eyes. When he didn’t say anything more, she couldn’t take it any longer. Her tongue darted out, lightly brushing against his finger. With their eyes locked, she took the tip of his finger into her mouth and sucked gently.
    “Jesus Christ.” It was a low rumble, spoken under his breath, but she heard it clearly. With a soft pop, she released his finger, her eyes imploring him.
    “Liv,” he said again. “I think...”
    And suddenly, it was as if everything in her mind cleared. She didn’t know why she’d been so worried. They were both adults. They were obviously attracted to each other. Why couldn’t they have sex and maintain their friendship?
    A flicker of doubt in the back of her mind told her there were plenty of reasons why that couldn’t happen, but she was too far gone to pay attention to that.
    “I think so, too.”
    It took him about three seconds before her words registered, and then he moved swiftly, grasping her hand as he pulled her behind him, pushing through the crowd on the dance floor. They got to the elevator just as a group was exiting, and he quickly moved them into the small space.
    Once the doors closed, he was pressed against her, her back to the mirrored wall. His hands cradled her head, his thumbs running against the underside of her jaw as his fingers splayed in her hair. Though he didn’t voice his questions, she could see them brewing in his eyes. But she was done questioning herself, and she didn’t want him to question it either.
    She reached up and gripped the back of his head, bringing his lips to hers. Without an ounce of hesitation, he met her eagerly, his lips soft, yet insistent, against hers. His fingers tightened in her hair as his tongue traced the seam of her lips. Moaning, she opened to him, their tongues meeting in the middle in a smooth caress of wetness and heat. Christ, but this man could kiss.
    It had been so long, too long, since she’d felt a kiss all the way to her toes. In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt it in her thirty-two years. But with Ian’s lips pressed against hers, his tongue working magically inside her mouth, she swore she saw stars behind her eyelids. Her entire body was lit like a firecracker, and she was ready to go off like one, too.
    She